The Spoon from Minkowitz: A Bittersweet Roots Journey to Ancestral Lands

By Judith Fein

Award-winning international travel writer Judith Fein has the burning passion and unquenchable curiosity to dive beneath the surface and push past all obstacles to find the truth. In this case, the truth is the shrouded story about where she came from, what the Old World was like, and what remains of the places so many of our ancestors left behind when they came to America. With heart and humor, she takes us along with her as she treks through graveyards, has a private audience with the Gypsy Baron of Moldova, meets the last Jew standing, communes with the dead, quaffs cognac with Russians, wanders among ruins, and hears the call of the ancestors, driving her on. Ultimately, it is our story too, as we the experience the legacy of what was handed down to us in our families, relationships, beliefs, fears and longings. Cracking the mystery of who we are, why we love, and where we came from can be the greatest mystery of all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judith Fein
• Release date: Jan 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9780988401938

Judith Fein

Travel and culture journalist Judith Fein writes for Psychology Today about transformative travel. She is the author of three award-winning travel-related books including the travel classic Life Is A Trip: The Transformative Magic of Travel.

Reviews for The Spoon from Minkowitz

[valenchia-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

YES! Finally! This is the book I was born to read. From the moment I set my eyes on Chapter One, I was hooked. Judith Fein had a very special bond with her grandmother and did everything she could to find out about her ancestral home. But Grandmother wasn't telling, except for six small clues. Clues that would take Judith on the journey of a lifetime, back to the home of her grandmother and back to her beginnings.As I was reading this book, I felt as though I was right there with Judith every step of the way. The only time I stopped reading was when I had to get some sleep and then I dreamed of the book. Of course, when I woke, I immediately took up where I left off. I laughed, I cried, I experienced nervousness as she drew near to the home of her heart. I willed myself to read faster as I neared the end because I wanted - no, I needed - to know that she found what she was looking for.There were moments in the story that were so intense I wasn't sure I could get through them. One that stood out for me was when Judith was on the phone with her grandmother for the very last time. Grandmother was very ill and was very anxious, afraid to die. Judith spoke to her and told her that it was OK, that she should find the light and just walk towards it. Twenty minutes later, her precious grandmother was gone. It took me a good twenty minutes of my own to stop crying. What a precious gift Judith was given!This story resonated with me because I have the same burning desire within me to visit my ancestral home, to taste and feel and see the places my ancestors lived their everyday lives. Judith made her dream come true and maybe with a little luck, perseverance, and hard work, I can do the same.Anyway, read the book. You will not be disappointed. You may even be delighted. In either case, your life will not be the same.